


Natsu's Heat

by HaleyStilinski24101



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Gratsu - Freeform, Heats, M/M, Mating seasons, Sex, Submissive Natsu, dominant gajeel, dominant gray, ruts, w - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-16
Updated: 2018-01-25
Packaged: 2018-09-08 23:54:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 16,814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8868130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HaleyStilinski24101/pseuds/HaleyStilinski24101
Summary: Natsu goes into heat, and only Gray can help him.





	1. Chapter 1

The entirety of Natsu's body was on fire, and not in the way it usually was. It was on fire in a figurative sense. His skin burned to the touch and was flushed, almost as if an all-consuming fever had overcome him. However, Natsu was never one to get sick, and the aching heat that was pooling in the bottom of his stomach suggested that this was something more than a simple fever. He groaned and writhed, rutting into his bed in a feeble attempt to soothe his aching cock. This happened to him every year, at exactly midsummer, and lasted about half a month. He was a submissive dragon-slayer, after all, and went into heat every time the mating season for dragons rolled around. 

He had once confronted Gajeel about it, overcoming the fear of being the butt of some very embarrassing and personal joke, but he had been surprisingly kind with his help. He hadn't made fun of him at all. Instead, he had patted his back in a soothing brotherly fashion and explained to him what was going on. He told Natsu that he didn't know much, since he was a dominant, but he explained the basics. He told him that he had been going into heat and that it was perfectly normal for a submissive dragon-slayer. He also told Natsu that when he did go into heat, the best thing to do for both of them was to stay away from him. Even though he was now with Levy, the pheromones that are emitted from a submissive dragon-slayer in heat could make an unmated dominant go feral with the urge to claim said submissive. He also told Natsu that during the time he would be in heat, Gajeel himself would be going through a rut.

Wendy had not reached the age of 16 yet, meaning she wouldn't have to worry about heats or ruts until then. She still had a few years to go. Natsu was glad she didn't have to go through what he and Gajeel currently had to deal with. It was stressful, and Natsu felt sick just thinking about a child suffering from the need to have their desires fulfilled. The two mature dragon-slayers would normally avoid the guild until mating season was over, but Erza made it clear that she wasn't having it this year. She assumed they both skipped spending time at the guild to spar or search for their long lost dragons. She had no idea that they were suffering because of their dragon instincts, and no way were they going to tell everyone what was happening to them. Their pride was too great for that. Besides, everyone in the guild would use it against them for the rest of their lives. 

Natsu mustered up all the self-control he had left and crawled out of bed to check his appearance in his bathroom mirror. His erection had finally subsided, but his skin was still flushed, his hair was damp with sweat and was messy, and his eyes were abnormally glazed over with pupils blown like saucers. He scowled, shedding his clothes and hopping in the shower. He tried in vain to relieve himself of the stench of sweat and arousal that radiated off of him, but no matter what, he could still smell the scent of both lingering on his skin. 

"Stupid fucking dragon pheromones." He growled, washing the shampoo from his hair and using his fire to dry himself off after he stepped out of the shower. "And stupid Erza for being so scary."

He dressed himself in his regular attire, hoping no one would notice just how flushed he was. The irregularly cold shower he took didn't help to ease the hotness of his skin. He should've known. After all, he'd been through this for a few years now. He wrapped his scarf around his neck, ignoring the sense of dread that crept into his heart. He balled his hands into fists and walked out of his bedroom. Happy waited for him in their shared living room, giving him a knowing look. Natsu had only ever told Gajeel and Happy what happened each year. Happy was his best friend and was even like a son to him; so of course he'd tell the small Exceed. 

"I'll ask Wendy and Carla if I can stay in the Girl's dormitory with them until you're better." Happy told Natsu. 

Natsu offered a small smile, glad that his best friend was so understanding. "Thanks, little buddy, now let's get going."

Happy grinned, giving the dragon-slayer a mock salute. "Aye, sir!"

*****************************

Once the two reached the guild, it took all the courage Natsu had within him to walk through the door. A mixture of cool mint and a snowy forest flooded his nose as soon as he did. He knew that scent all too well, especially when in heat. It was Gray's scent. Natsu had a crush on his rival ever since the two had been 13-year-olds who had just arrived at the guild. He wasn't as dumb as everyone made him out to be, and he was great at hiding things from others. However, during his heat, Natsu could barely stand even being in the same room as Gray. He wanted nothing more than to give into his submissive side and shove Gray's cock up his ass to quench his desires. 

Upon entering, Natsu also picked up on Gajeel's scent. It had a sweet edge to it, which was not present any time other than while he was in rut, and a spice that made Natsu want to offer himself to the iron dragon-slayer. Gajeel stared directly at him, and Natsu could pinpoint the moment that he caught his scent. His eyes glazed over, and he stared at Natsu with an intensity that made the heat return to his stomach. A low, almost feral growl emitted from the iron dragon-slayer's throat, and the guild became completely silent. Everyone stared at him in shock as he stalked over to the smaller fire dragon-slayer. Natsu knew something bad was about to happen, but instead of fleeing, he let out a needy whimper. Gajeel's rough hands came into contact with Natsu's slightly bare chest as he shoved him into the nearest wall. Natsu writhed under the masculine body, trying his best not to give in to his submissive instincts. He watched with hooded eyes as Gajeel's nose prodded at his neck, taking in the scent of his pheromones. Another growl, louder than before, tore from Gajeel's throat. Levy immediately caught on and rushed over to save the poor fire dragon-slayer from her lover. She grabbed Gajeel's hand, trying her best to separate the two. At the touch of his lover, Gajeel snapped out of his haze and release Natsu with slightly panicked eyes. 

"I told you to stay away from me!" He snapped at Natsu as he did everything he could to not take the smaller dragon-slayer right there. 

Natsu felt anger rise within him. "Don't you think I would if I could?! You know that Erza told me I couldn't stay away this year! I told you that, idiot!" Natsu's skin had flushed even more once his skin had come in contact with Gajeel's and his breaths were coming out in sharp pants. 

The rest of the guild just watched the scene play out in confusion. No one had any idea what was going on, but apparently it was Erza's fault. Levy and Happy seemed to be the only two who had even a slight idea what was happening. They had no idea what to think of the scene that they had just witnessed. Gajeel seemed like he was...into Natsu. 

"Can you two explain what is going on?" Cana was the one who finally asked. 

Both dragon-slayers whipped around to face her with wide eyes. "NO!" They both shouted at the same time, causing their guildmates to jolt in shock. 

Cana just rolled her eyes and returned to the keg of beer she was working on at the moment. If those two did not want to tell her, then she didn't want to know. Her eyes flickered to Natsu for a moment, and she couldn't help the worry that filled her. The young pinkette looked terrible. Natsu, who had never gotten a fever in his life, had flushed skin and a far away look in his eyes. The two dragons separated not long after the little spat, and Natsu sat in a corner away from everyone else. 

Natsu definitely hated mating season.


	2. Chapter 2

Natsu was jolted from his sulking when a heavenly scent invaded his nose. He raised his head from where it rested on the table and came face to face with Gray. He inhaled sharply, savoring the scent of his childhood crush.

"What d'ya want?" Natsu slurred, his breathing still uneven.

Gray huffed and sat down beside Natsu, their bodies nearly touching. Natsu tried his best not to writhed, but his body acted on its own. He let out a slight groan at the feeling of emptiness that had taken over. Gray seemed to notice, and he gave Natsu a worried glance.

"Are you okay?" The ice mage asked the fire user as he eyed him. Erza had no doubt forced him to check on Natsu since she always tried to make them get along.

He scoffed and glared at Gray. "Does it look like I'm okay to you?" He snapped, wishing Gray would just leave him alone.

Instead, Gray leaned over and rested his hand on the dragon's shoulder. He was shocked. Natsu was burning up! The touch made a high-pitched whine tear its way up Natsu's throat. Gray quickly removed his hand and stared at the pinkette. Natsu offered no hints as to what was happening to him. Gray scoffed, grabbed Natsu by his shirt, and dragged him out of the guild hall.

Natsu followed Gray in silence as he led them down the streets and to a tall apartment building. They walked inside, heading up to the third floor. The dragon-slayer watched in confusion as his comrade unlocked the door to his flat and pulled him inside. Gray shoved Natsu onto his couch and pinned him with a glare.

"There. No one else is around, so will you just tell me what's wrong already?!" He snapped at the dragon.

Natsu tried his best not to get hard as Gray's scent flooded his nostrils. His whole body was tense, and he was fighting every urge in his body. He didn't want to ruin his friendship with Gray. The two were comrades and had even become something close to best friends. They always had each other's back and comforted each other when they needed it. They had known each other since childhood, and even though they had a rivalry, they cared deeply for one another.   
  
Natsu sighed. There was no way he could admit to Gray what was happening to him. "I can't tell you."

That wasn't what Gray wanted to hear. He had enough of the dragon-slayer always being too stubborn to tell someone if something was wrong. He never wanted to appear weak in front of anyone, even his friends. It angered Gray more than anything. He wanted Natsu to know that he would be there for him no matter what, even if they fought a lot. Truth be told, he was beyond curious. He wanted to know why Natsu would suddenly vanish for a while at the exact same time every year.

He scowled and grabbed Natsu's shirt, slamming him into his living room wall. "You're lying! I know there's something wrong, so just spit it out already, flame-brain!"

Natsu flinched as the coolness of Gray's skin came in contact with his burning skin. "I-I..."

Gray's grip loosened, and his eyes became softer. "I won't make fun of you because of it, Natsu. I can tell you don't want to talk about it. I just want to help. We're guildmates, after all. I promise I won't tell anyone."

Natsu locked eyes with the ice mage as hope rised within him. Then, just like that, it vanished. "You won't be able to help me with this." He mumbled.

Gray was angry. Who was Natsu to decide what he could or couldn't help with?! "I wouldn't know unless you tell me!"

Natsu flinched and looked down. He blushed, scared to tell the one he liked that he had gone into heat. "I...I'm in...heat." He whispered quietly.

Gray took a step back in shock. There was no way he heard Natsu correctly. Humans couldn't go into heat. He analyzed Natsu. Not unless... "Does this have something to do with your weird dragon instincts?"

Natsu nodded, feeling ashamed. Gray noticed and sighed. His hand brushed against the dragon's flaming cheek as he leaned in. "Okay...yeah, I'll help you."

Natsu's eyes widened in shock. Gray was actually offering to help him?! His heart sped up, and his breath left him. He must've heard wrong, because there was no way Gray would actually help him with something so intimate.

"After all, we're guildmates, and no one needs you messing anything up because of this." Gray told Natsu.

The dragon felt his hopes shatter and his heart break. Of course Gray would only help him so he wouldn't be in anyone's way. Bitterness rose within his chest as he pushed Gray away.

"I don't need your help." He snarled. If the heat hadn't impaired his magic, flames would have been licking at his skin.

He stormed out, leaving a confused Gray behind.

*****************************

Tears trailed down Natsu's face as he slammed the door to his house. He had actually thought he might have had a chance with Gray. So stupid! Of course Gray didn't want him like that. He just didn't want Natsu to ruin everything like he always did. Natsu was hurt; he felt betrayed. He knew he should have expected this, but it didn't make it hurt any less.

He had at least hoped that there was even a tiny chance that he could be with Gray, but that hope had vanished once Gray said those words. _No one needs you messing anything up because of this._ Gray's smooth voice echoed in his head. Natsu growled and punched his bedroom wall, leaving a hole in it. Any hope he had that Gray wanted him too vanished. Gray would never want him. He would never love Natsu like the dragon-slayer loved him. Natsu was merely a partner to Gray. Nothing more, nothing less.

Natsu decided then, as he cried himself to sleep, that he would tell Gramps about his current state and then take a break from the guild until his heat was over.

 

 

 

 

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Natsu tells Gramps.

The next day, Natsu left Master Makarov's office, the old man following closely behind. The effects of the heat had gotten worse, and the flush of Natsu's skin could rival the color of Erza's hair. His breaths were nothing more than shallow pants now. 

"Everyone, I have an announcement to make!" Makarov yelled over his noisy children. They became silent as they turned to face their master and their guildmate. Makarov took a deep breath and continued on. Natsu had specifically told him that he didn't want anyone to know about his current condition and asked him to keep quiet. Makarov couldn't say no when Natsu pinned him with pleading, narrow eyes. "Natsu and Gajeel will be taking a month's leave from the guild."

Chaos broke loose at that statement. Many guild members were asking why and what's wrong. Natsu, for once, felt uneasy to be the center of attention. He fidgeted in his spot, which did not go unnoticed by his guild master. Natsu had told him about everything except Gray and his feelings toward the ice mage. 

"QUIET!" Makarov shouted, a giant fist hitting the floor in front of the rest of the members of the guild. "Erza." He called out to the most obedient of the guild. 

"Yes, master?" The scarlet-haired warrior stepped forward. 

Makarov pinned her with a stern look. "Under no circumstances will you force Natsu or Gajeel to remain at the guild during this time of year."

Everyone was shocked, to say the least. Erza had, for nearly the first time, been scolded by the master. Whatever was going on with the two dragon-slayers was bad enough that Gramps had disciplined Erza Scarlet. The female warrior looked equally as shocked as she kneeled down to one knee. 

"Forgive me, sir. I will not persist anymore." She apologized, earning a nod of approval from the old man. 

"Natsu has also asked of me to keep his reasons confidential, and I cannot act against one of my children's will. Therefore, no one is to pry or bring up the subject unless Natsu is comfortable with speaking about it." The master told them. His voice was sharp, as if threatening anyone to act against his will. 

Everyone in the guild nodded and returned to their daily routines. All except one person. Gray stared at Natsu in puzzlement. He looked worse than before. He was curious as to why the fire mage had ran out on him yesterday. When he had offered his help, the dragon had seemed almost hopeful. Then, all of a sudden, his entire mood had changed. He had become hostile toward the ice-make wizard, leaving him to wonder just what he had done to piss him off. 

*****************************

On his way out of the guild, Natsu was stopped by Gajeel. Levy hovered close by, in case their instincts caused them to act irrationally once again. The fire dragon was thankful for her presence. If Gajeel made any advances on him, he didn't think he'd have enough self-control to fight him off. 

"Thanks for telling Gramps, flame brain. I don't have to stick around here anymore." Gajeel thanked him in his own manner. 

The iron dragon's scent was drowning the air surrounding Natsu, causing him to fidget and release a few quiet whines. "No problem, but I think you should really go."

Gajeel looked pissed. "I thank you and you tell me to leave! What's with that, dumbass?!" He growled. 

The animalistic growl that tore from Gajeel's throat sent shivers down the younger dragon's spine. "It's not like that, idiot! You need to go before I-" Natsu cut himself off with a needy whine. 

Gajeel seemed to understand and backed away with wide eyes. The scent of Natsu's pheromones had gotten stronger, sweeter. As if beckoning the iron dragon to take him. His whole body hardened, and he clung to Levy to regain even a small shred of control. 

"Right. Sorry." He mumbled and darted away from the submissive dragon-slayer. 

Natsu face palmed. Gajeel was almost as clueless as Natsu when it came to certain things. Another whine, louder this time, threatened to tear through his throat, but he fought it back. There was no way he'd let his guildmates see him in such a vulnerable and intimate state. 

He ran out of the guild, ready to lock himself away in the safety of his home.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Natsu gets some help.

Natsu hadn't been seen in weeks, and Gray was seriously starting to worry. If that heat was supposed to get worse and Natsu had already looked terrible after only the second day, then he was probably even unable to move that much. Gray stood up and walked away from the table he, Natsu, Erza, Happy, and Lucy always sat at. The guild was abnormally quiet without the pyromaniac around. Truth be told, it bothered Gray. He worried for his friend, even if they always fought. 

He walked out of the guild hall. He would check on Natsu, just to make sure he hadn't done anything that he would regret later on. He would also offer his help one last time, and if Natsu turned him down once again, then he wouldn't argue. He couldn't force the dragon-slayer to accept his help. Natsu was just like that. He either needed the help or he didn't want anyone to think he was too weak to handle the situation. It was one of the many things Gray loved about the dragon's personality. He also always had a smile on his face, no matter how much pain he was suffering from. Gray figured it was to keep everyone else strong, and it definitely helped. 

*****************************

Gray was not prepared for what he saw once he opened the door to Natsu's bedroom. The dragon was on his bed, lying on his back. His entire body was flushed a bright red, and his eyes were glazed and hooded with lust. What made Gray completely stop in his tracks, however, was the slight rock of his hips as he fucked himself with a dildo and the way his body was spread out so sensually, his face buried in the crook of one of his arms. He looked...hot. Gray felt his own cock stir at the moans Natsu released. The dragon had yet to notice his presence, and Gray knew he probably wouldn't unless he announced himself. Gray sprung into action, stalking over to Natsu's heat-wracked body and pulling the dildo out. Natsu stilled, and he removed his arm, olive eyes meeting blue. 

"Gray...I-" Natsu's eyes were wide, and he opened and closed his mouth, trying to find the right words to say. 

"Shh...It's fine, Natsu. You knew your heat would get this bad, so why didn't you let me help?" Gray asked, eyes soft as he stared into the dragon's. 

"I...just didn't want anyone to see how weak I am." Natsu told him. He couldn't tell Gray that his words had hurt him, but he wasn't exactly lying. 

Gray placed a soothing hand on Natsu's burning cheek, and the fire wizard watched him in confusion. "Natsu, you're the strongest person I know, both mentally and physically. I'll never think you're weak." He told Natsu with a soft voice. 

Natsu was at a loss for words as the ice mage leaned down to capture his lips in a passionate kiss. It didn't take long, however, for Natsu to regain his senses and begin to kiss him back. Gray's lips were freezing, and Natsu loved it. Gray climbed onto the bed, his body hovering over the dragon's and his hands on each side of his head. He swooped back down, engulfing those fiery lips into another kiss. This kiss wasn't like the last. It was bruising and rough, filled with need. 

"Gray, please..." Natsu moaned as Gray inserted three of his fingers into the dragon's leaking hole. 

"It's okay...I know." Gray whispered, calming him. 

The ice-make wizard kept himself up with one hand as he thrusted the other in and out of the fire user slowly. He watched Natsu's face the whole time. The expressions the dragon made were incredibly sexy, and Gray could barely stop himself from ravaging the beautiful creature under him. 

He didn't want this to end quickly. He would take his time to completely unravel Natsu, because this may very well be the only time Gray could ever do this to the dragon-slayer.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gray tortures Natsu a little. ;)

Natsu couldn't take it. Gray was moving unbearably slow, which didn't help to soothe his heat at all. Gray was supposed to be helping him, so why was he taking his precious time? Sure, Natsu enjoyed the way Gray was moving so slow and tenderly, but he was in heat. He didn't need slow and tender, he needed fast and rough. With the ice mage going slow, Natsu's senses were completely overwhelming him. He was only focused on Gray. He could only feel Gray, could only hear Gray, could only smell Gray, could only see Gray, and could only taste Gray. There was nothing but Gray to Natsu. 

"Gray, f-faster. Please..." Natsu moaned. 

Gray pinned him with a slight glare. It was so familiar that Natsu almost forgot the situation they were currently in. "No. I'm going to do this at my own pace, and you're going to enjoy every second of it. You won't be able to forget the way I felt after I'm through with you." He growled out. 

Natsu gasped at his words. Who knew Gray could talk so dirty? "I-I want it." He whined. 

Gray smirked and pulled his fingers out of the pinkette. He left a trail of kisses from Natsu's neck to his naval, stopping right before he reached his aching cock. "Of course you do." 

Gray grabbed the submissive's member, running his cold tongue from the base to the tip before engulfing it in his icy mouth. Natsu's hips thrusted into Gray's mouth against his will, and a loud moan left his mouth. Gray loved the noises coming from the fire mage. He continued to suck him off, coaxing a few more sounds from Natsu. His lips parted from Natsu's dick with a 'pop'. Natsu whined at the loss, but it was soon replaced with a needy whine as he felt Gray's tip enter him. 

Gray impaled Natsu with a single, slow thrust. He watched the dragon's face as he did so. The expressions Natsu wore during sex were so erotic! Gray could barely contain himself. The ice mage took a deep breath to calm himself as the dragon-slayer's hole engulfed his cock. He was so tight and warm! The feeling of being inside the fire user drove Gray crazy. 

Another whine left Natsu as Gray began to move, slowly thrusting in and out of the dragon. Gray was doing all he could not to cum so fast, but the dragon-slayer definitely wasn't making it easy for him. He was just so sexy! Gray's moans joined Natsu's as his thrusts became faster. He hit a sweet spot that had Natsu arching his back off the bed in ecstasy. 

"D-Do that again!" Natsu shouted, and Gray couldn't find it in him to deny the pinkette. 

He did as he was told, angling his hips so that he abused the dragon's prostate with every thrust. The submissive became nothing more than a writhing, moaning mess under him. He had lost all control, and had completely given in to the heat. The sight turned Gray on even more, if that was even possible. 

"N-Natsu, I'm going to..." Gray moaned as he felt his orgasm building up. 

"Wait!" Natsu's panicked voice snapped him out of his daze and he slowed his thrusting. 

"What's wrong?" Gray asked, worried that he had done something wrong. 

"Don't cum inside of me. You're not wearing a condom, are you?" The dragon asked. 

Gray was confused. "No, why?"

Natsu smiled reassuringly. "It's nothing bad, I promise. Just trust me, okay?" He pleaded. 

Gray nodded, still confused. "Okay." He pulled out and jerked them both off until they came. 

*****************************

Gray was laying on his side, staring at Natsu with a puzzled look on his face. Natsu, of course, noticed this and turned to his side as well, facing Gray. "Why didn't you want me to cum inside of you?"

Natsu smiled. Gray was cute when he was curious. "It's mating season, and I'm a submissive dragon-slayer, so that means I can get pregnant."

Gray's eyes had widened comically, and Natsu laughed at the sight. "You do know you're a guy, right? I thought guys couldn't get pregnant."

Natsu flicked him on the nose. "They can't, but male dragon-slayer's can if they're submissive. Only during mating season, though. If it was any other time, I wouldn't have to worry about getting pregnant." He explained to the ice mage. 

"That makes sense, I guess." Gray agreed, a look of wonder on his face. 

"You think too much, popsicle dick."

"You don't think at all, flame brain."

Just like that, everything had gone back to normal. For once, they were both glad. It was reassuring, knowing that a change as big as this couldn't ruin the friendship and trust they had built


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here's a late Christmas gift from yours truly. ;)

When Natsu woke up the next morning, Gray was already gone. He had most likely woken up before Natsu and decided to go to the guild. The dragon-slayer wasn't mad and didn't feel used like most people would have been. Sure, he had loved the feeling of falling asleep with Gray's arms wrapped around him and the comfort it provided, but he was a wizard of Fairy Tail, and wizards had jobs to do in order to earn money. Natsu figured it would've also been slightly awkward for Gray if he had stuck around for the salamander to awaken. The ice mage would have been left with nothing to do until he woke up. All in all, Natsu was glad that such an intimate thing hadn't made things awkward for them both. 

However, that meant Gray was having fun at the guild with everyone else while Natsu was trapped in his house. He pouted. Even Happy wasn't around to keep him company. Which was probably for the best, since he had attacked the small exceed during his first heat. For some reason, Natsu had felt the urge to protect his 'nest' whenever Happy even came near their shared house. After that heat cycle had ended, Natsu had apologized, and the two brushed it off as a dragon instinct. It made sense: a submissive protecting their nest from potential enemies as they looked for a mate. 

The dragon-slayer groaned as boredom took over. It wasn't fair! He didn't choose to go through heat, and he definitely didn't want to stay at home bored when he could be hanging out at the guild. A knock at his door interrupted his thoughts, and he quickly dressed himself in a pair of boxers before going to answer it. He opened the door, expecting to see Happy or Gray, only to come face to face with the last person he thought would be around. 

"Natsu..." the visitor said his name in a breathy whisper. 

Natsu knew this was bad. This situation would be worse than the eternal boredom he felt. At his door was a very needy, very horny, dominant dragon-slayer in rut. "Laxus..."

Natsu had no idea why the lightening dragon-slayer would be at his house of all places or even Magnolia for that matter. He was still exiled. However, Laxus was very well there. He had been living in the forest for only a few weeks. He had just taken a short cut to get back to his campsite, when a heavenly scent had suddenly filled the air around him. It was inviting, and he couldn't help but follow it. He didn't think he would wind up at Natsu's house. Hell, he never would have thought that Fairy Tail's very own Salamander was a submissive of all things. 

It had been raining all morning, and the lightening dragon was completely soaked. Natsu sighed, knowing he would regret this later. "Come in before you catch a cold, idiot." He said, moving to the side so Laxus could enter. 

It probably wasn't the smartest choice, since Laxus's body went rigid once the scent of Natsu's pheromones became stronger. Natsu, of course, noticed this. The larger dragon-slayer had begun to release his own pheromones once he had caught scent of Natsu's. This caused Natsu's body to harden as well. His heat hit him full force because of the dominant dragon's presence. Laxus growled, and Natsu responded with a needy whimper. 

He could no longer control his body as Laxus roughly pushed him onto his bed and assaulted his lips. The bruising kiss caused Natsu to release a loud whine and buck his hips up into the man hovering above him. Laxus snarled, a sound that was more animal than human. It sent shivers down the submissive's spine. The two no longer acted like civilized human beings. They gave into their instincts and allowed the beasts inside them to take over. 

Clothes were ripped, fangs gnashed, and snarls left them both. Laxus didn't bother to prepare the fire dragon as he rammed his cock inside him. Natsu howled with pain and pleasure. Sure, it hurt, but it also felt really good. Natsu's slanted eyes were clouded with lust, and there was a trail of drool at the corner of his mouth. Laxus was looking down at the submissive, his eyes just as clouded. The only thought crossing his mind was to bite and claim. 

Just as he was about to give the fire dragon a mating bite, a door slammed open. Laxus growled, feeling the need to protect the submissive under him from anyone trying to take him away. 

"Natsu, I brought you some- OH MY GOD!!!" It was Gray's voice, and Natsu immediately snapped out of his daze. 

He looked at the ice mage with wide eyes, then up at the dominant dragon that was currently pounding into him. Natsu bit back a moan. Laxus was definitely good in bed, but not as good as Gray had been. The fire dragon-slayer didn't feel a spark with Laxus like he did the ice mage. There were no harbored feelings for the lightening dragon-slayer. 

Natsu regained his composure and snarled loudly, pushing at the man on top of him. "Laxus, get off of me, damnit!"

Laxus only growled. Natsu didn't blame him. It was only because of Gray that he was able to regain control of his instincts. Laxus was a dominant, and the need to claim was strong. However, Natsu was scared. If Laxus didn't get a hold of himself, he would cum inside of the submissive, leaving Natsu with the possibility of getting pregnant. 

"Ngh, Gray! Get him off of me, dumbass!" Natsu snapped at the ice mage who was currently frozen in shock. 

Gray snapped out of it, hurrying over to the two. He grabbed Laxus's arm in an attempt to pull him away from Natsu, only to be slung into the wall behind him. Gray cursed as he quickly got up to rescue his best friend. 

"Ice Make: Lance!" He shouted, directing his powers at Laxus. 

The ice weapon hits the lightening dragon-slayer. The cold seemed to snap him out of it, and he looked at Natsu with wide eyes. "N-Natsu?!" He screamed, quickly scrambling away from the smaller dragon-slayer. "I'm sorry!"

Natsu sighed as he sat up, wincing at the sharp pain in his lower abdomen. Blood trickled down his thighs, and Laxus no doubt smelled it with his heightened senses. "It's fine. We both gave into our instincts, so we're both to blame. You should probably go, though, before my heat takes effect again."

Laxus nodded and put his clothes back on. He sent Natsu a worried glance before hurrying out of the door. Gray was confused. When he had first caught sight of Laxus and Natsu in bed together, a pang of jealousy had shot through him. What reason did he have to be jealous, though? A groan of pain left Natsu, and Gray instantly shook off his thoughts and faced the dragon-slayer. Dread filled him as he got a good look at his rival. On his hips, bruises in the shape of fingers had begun to form. 

"Holy shit, you're bleeding!" Gray yelped once he caught sight of Natsu's thighs. 

Natsu winced. "Laxus certainly didn't go easy on me, huh?" He tried to joke. 

Gray glared at him. How could the flame brain joke about something like this?! "He practically raped you!" He shouted as he hurried into Natsu's bathroom to grab his first-aid kit and a wet cloth. 

Natsu shook his head. "It wasn't rape. I was the one that let him in, even though I knew he was a dominant and that this would happen." He told Gray. 

"You idiot! What in the hell made you do something as stupid as that?" The ice mage snapped as he moved to wipe the blood off of Natsu. 

Natsu rolled his eyes. "It was raining, and he had nowhere to go! I wasn't going to let him catch a cold! Even though he's not a member of Fairy Tail anymore, he's still a friend!" 

Gray...honestly couldn't see anything wrong with that. He calmed down a little. This was Natsu, after all. He would do anything to help a friend, even if that meant he had to face consequences. He had seen how bad Natsu's heat could get, and if Laxus got just as bad, then there was no way the two could have controlled themselves. 

Gray sighed. "Whatever, now be still so I can help you!" He ordered. 

Gray didn't know why he was jealous, but he did know that he definitely didn't mind being around Natsu.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Years!!! I hope this chapter helps your year kick off with a good start!!! ;) Sorry it's so short...I have a bad case of writer's block and don't know what to do. I'm open for requests for chapters to come!!! :)

The two sat in silence, Gray tending to Natsu's wounds and Natsu watching curiously. That is, until said dragon-slayer broke the silence once Gray finished. "Thanks..." He mumbled. 

Gray just shrugged. It was weird having his rival thank him. "It was no problem, really. I was already on my way here." 

Natsu eyed him curiously. "Why did you come here?" He asked the ice mage. 

"I was going to give you this," he held out a bag of food. "and also to tell you that Erza is making Lucy and I go on a mission with her, so I probably won't be back for a few days." He watched Natsu closely, anticipating his reaction. 

"Oh, okay." Natsu said. He seemed kind of...disappointed. Gray brushed it off as being an affect of his heat. It meant Natsu had to deal with his heat alone for a while, after all. Why wouldn't he be disappointed?

Little did he know, Natsu just didn't feel right with his best friend going on a mission without him. He wanted to be there. He wanted to fight alongside the ice mage. He didn't want to be stuck in his house for a month, and he definitely didn't want to be alone. 

After Igneel had left him, Natsu always worried that the people he loved would do the same. It terrified him to think that they would just decide to leave him one day. It was one of the reasons why he always tried his hardest, no matter what. He wanted Fairy Tail, his family, to know he wasn't weak. If he proved that he was strong, then maybe, just maybe, no one would leave him. 

It was his biggest fear: to be left behind by those he loved most. 

"Are you okay, Flame Brain?" A voice pulled him from his thoughts. 

Natsu turned to look at Gray. He gave him his signature heart-warming smile. "I'm fine, Ice Princess."

Gray looked unconvinced, but nodded anyways. He wouldn't pry if Natsu didn't want him to. He wanted the dragon-stayer to turn to him for comfort on his own accord. It meant that he truly trusted Gray with his personal problems, and the ice mage knew he'd come around soon. 

Gray just wished Natsu would open up to him more. He sighed and got up. He had packing to do.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little look into how Gray is doing. ;)

Night bestowed the town of Magnolia, and Gray could be found in his apartment, at his window, a suitcase by his side and a sigh leaving his lips. Tomorrow, he had to leave for a mission with Lucy and Erza. Honestly, he had no idea why, but he wanted to stay by Natsu's side as the dragon-slayer went through his heat. He shrugged it off. He was just helping his comrade and best friend, there was nothing else to it. 

Except, for some reason unknown to Gray, the ice mage had been starting to get a weird feeling whenever he was around his rival. At the slightest of touches, his skin would crawl like he had just been electrocuted, and whenever the pinkette even looked at him, a weird jittery feeling would erupt in his stomach. It was scary. 

Gray had just figured it had something to do with Natsu being in heat, but then common sense had sunk in. The heat only affected submissive dragon-slayers, so he couldn't be affected by it. He wasn't a dragon-slayer or submissive. The sensations he had been feeling had nothing to do with the dragon mating season. 

Gray closed his eyes as he brushed it off. Oh well. He'd find out soon enough what was happening. He turned away from the window. He really needed to get some rest. 

*************************

It was morning, and Gray was at the train station waiting for Lucy and Erza. They showed up soon enough with Ezra's giant wagon of luggage in tow. Gray rolled his eyes. He was used to the scarlet-haired warrior always bringing her many suitcases. Honestly, he'd be worried if she didn't. 

"So what's this mission about, Erza? You never gave us any details." Lucy pointed out. Gray was curious as well. 

Erza gave them her usual small smile. "We just have to defeat a few bandits who have been attacking travelers. An easy job for 8,000,000 jewels, I'd say."

"That's enough to pay my rent for a few months. Sure, I'll do it." Gray agreed. Lucy nodded. 

"Very well, then. Off we go." Erza ordered. 

We climbed aboard the train and took our seats. It was a long, uneventful ride. Gray couldn't help but frown. If that flame-brain were here, he would be hunched over as he tried his best not to get sick. Without Natsu with them, an awkward silence had taken over. Gray could tell the others were thinking the exact same thing. They both had a thoughtful look in there eyes and a small smile on their lips. Going on a mission just wasn't the same without that pyro. 

Gray sat back as he let his thoughts take over. He began to worry. He had left Natsu without a second thought, even after what happened yesterday. Natsu was still in heat, which meant he was completely at the mercy of any dominant dragon-slayer that may try to claim him. 

He started to feel sick. Natsu was only saved from being fully assaulted by Laxus because Gray was there. Now he had chosen to go on a mission, and the pinkette was left defenseless. With the heat keeping Natsu from using his magic, he had no way to defend himself against anyone except for brute strength. Gray highly doubted that Natsu would be able to fight someone because of his heat. 

Gray silently hoped that the mission would be over quickly. He needed to get back to Natsu. Just the thought of someone forcing themselves onto Natsu made him sick.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm loving this bromance between Natsu and Gajeel. <3

Gajeel was at his apartment, nervously pacing back and forth. Natsu had used a communication lacrima to check in with Gajeel a few days ago. Gajeel had told him that he was fine. He and Levy had finally mated, so his rut and the scent of a submissive in heat wasn't as bad. Natsu had been happy for him, and he even congratulated the two. Levy had blushed heavily while Gajeel had laughed and thanked him. The fire dragon-slayer also told him about how he had feelings for Gray since childhood and how the ice mage was helping him with his heat. 

That left Gajeel as he is now. He was a worried mess. Levy had just told him that Lucy, Gray, and Erza had taken a mission. Of course, the bookworm didn't know about Natsu and Gray since the fire mage had only ever told Gajeel. It just came up in a casual conversation the two were having. 

The iron dragon knew that with the distance, Natsu would probably get worse. If the fire dragon saw Gray as a potential mate, then his heat would be stronger without the ice-make wizard's help. Sure, Gajeel and Natsu had a rivalry, but they were also the closest of the dragon-slayers. They could always lean on each other for help, and it was nice to have someone like them around. Gajeel sighed and pulled out the communication Lacrima that Levy had. 

****************************

Natsu was snapped out of his heat-induced daze when he heard a faint buzzing. As he came to, he finally realized that it was the communication Lacrima that Erza made him keep at his house in case of emergencies. Natsu hastily pulled on a pair of boxers and wiped some of his sweat away. 

He answered and watched as Gajeel's face came into view. "Oi, Salamander!!! You look like a bitch in heat!" Gajeel called out as he took in his appearance. 

Natsu rolled his eyes, a small smile on his lips. "Well, I kinda am, metal-head...so what'd ya want?"

The larger dragon-slayer snapped his fingers as if he had just remembered before giving Natsu a worried glance. "Meet me at the guild." 

The fire mage looked confused. "What? But won't that just make you-"

"I'm mated, remember. It won't affect me as bad." He reminded Natsu. 

"Oh. I forgot. I guess I'll see you there." Natsu told the iron dragon. 

Gajeel nodded and cut off their link, leaving Natsu in silence. He sighed as he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. First, he'd have to take a shower and make himself look acceptable. He mentally cursed the metal-head as he climbed out of bed. 

Looks like he'd be going to the guild today.


	10. Chapter 10

Natsu stood in front of the guild's entrance, contemplating on whether or not he should open the large doors. He took a deep breath. He could smell Gajeel already inside. The dominant dragon's scent was different now that he was mated. Instead of the strong, spicy scent that had made Natsu want to submit to him, it was now a comforting, brotherly scent. Gajeel could also smell the change in Natsu's scent since he no longer saw him as a potential mate. The fire dragon's scent wasn't addictingly sweet anymore. Now, it was the smell of home, like a motherly scent. 

Natsu sighed. He would just get this over with. He pushed the large doors open, and everyone turned to face him. They were shocked. They hadn't seen Natsu or Gajeel in weeks, so why had the two decided to show up now? All eyes were on Natsu as he walked over to the table that Gajeel was sitting at. The iron dragon-slayer had sent Levy away so that the two could talk in privacy. She had understood and had told him she'd be in the library. 

"I honestly didn't think you would come, Salamander." Gajeel told him with a smirk. 

Natsu rolled his eyes and sat down directly beside him. That way, they wouldn't have to talk as loud as they would if he had sat across from him. "I didn't want to, but I'm here."

The guild was unusually quiet as they all stared at the two. They were curious as to when the two had become so friendly towards one another. They all strained their ears as they tried to listen in. 

Gajeel leaned in close to Natsu, much to their guildmates' surprise. "How are things with Gray?" He whispered quietly. 

Natsu scoffed as a deep blush overcame his face. Now the guild was honestly shocked. To them, it must have seemed like the two were getting intimate with one another. "Not good. His reason for helping was because, and I quote, 'no one needs me messing up anything because of this'."

The iron mage sneered. "What an asshole. Honestly, you could do better." 

Natsu was...shocked. Gajeel had comforted and complimented him! "Thanks." was all he could manage. 

"Don't act so surprised. Oh, but I called you here to tell you something." The larger dragon-slayer said. Natsu nodded, silently telling him to continue. "I know you haven't really been informed about heats and stuff, so this is pretty important. Levy told me that Gray went on a mission with the rest of your team, I'm sure you know already, but she said it'd probably take a few days to complete."

"I don't get what this has to do with anything..." Natsu cocked his head to the side in confusion. 

Gajeel bonked him on the head with his fist. "If you'd hush and listen, then I'd tell you. As I was saying, the mission will take a few days to complete. You see him as a potential mate, so the longer and farther away he is, the stronger your heat will become. The bandits they have to take out aren't even in Fiore. You two are gonna be miles away from each other."

Natsu's eyes widened. "So my heat is gonna get really bad." 

Gajeel nodded. The fire mage groaned and put his head on the table. The next few days would be terrible. Gajeel sighed and rubbed soothing circles on the smaller man's back. "Oi, you're Salamander! You'll get through it!"

After Natsu had finally decided that he was done moping around, the two had engaged in a conversation. They talked about fighting techniques, who they thought was the strongest from each guild (which ended in the two arguing that they were the strongest in Fairy Tail), and they even discussed how they could find a way to summon dragon force at will. It was going great...until Laxus had suddenly barged in, and Natsu accidentally let what had happened between the two slip. 

Upon hearing that, Gajeel had shot up, causing the table to be flung back slightly. "HE WHAT?!" 

The attention was taken away from Laxus as all eyes snapped to stare at the two once again. It was an unusual sight. Natsu was holding the larger man back as he tried to break free. They had no idea what was going on. 

"LET ME GO, SALAMANDER! I'LL KILL THAT ASSHOLE!" The iron mage roared as Natsu tried his best to keep him in place. 

Laxus backed away slightly. He had a feeling that Gajeel was talking about him. By the looks of it, Natsu had accidentally told him what he had done. Natsu's scent still overwhelmed the lightening dragon. Unlike Gajeel, Laxus wasn't mated, and Natsu's heat still affected him terribly. His body went rigid once his eyes landed on the pinkette. 

"Gajeel, I swear to Mavis if you don't calm down I'm going to knock you out!" The fire mage snapped. 

Gajeel slowly stopped fighting, which cause Natsu to weaken his hold on the iron dragon. Gajeel used that opportunity to quickly break free and storm over to the blonde. Natsu cursed himself for falling for his trick. The best thing to do was probably to get Levy to calm down her mate, but he most likely didn't have time to run to the library. 

Now that Natsu wasn't so caught up in keeping Gajeel at bay, he could fully register the scent of the dominant floating around the room. Natsu's heat hit him full force, worse than before. It was painful, even. His instincts were stronger, and it was much harder to fight them. Natsu's knees gave out as he dropped into a 'W' position on the floor. 

Laxus seemed to catch this as well, because he was too caught up in staring at the submissive to dodge Gajeel's punch. The force and suddenness of the attack caused him to fly back into the wall behind him. Everyone gasped at the scene playing out before them. Someone, probably Wendy, even went to get Master Makarov. 

"WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?!" He bellowed in his giant voice. 

However, he seemed to quickly register what was happening as he spotted the three dragon-slayers. He ran down the stairs to stop the brawl. He had no idea why his grandson was here, but he didn't care at the moment. His first priority was to keep Natsu away from the dominants. He stood in front of the fire mage protectively, blocking Laxus from getting to him. 

The lightening dragon, overcome by instincts, was enraged. How dare the old man keep him away from his submissive?! He shoved Gajeel aside as he tried to get to the pinkette. Gajeel growled and used is iron fist to knock the lightening dragon out. Makarov sighed heavily. His kids definitely were a troublesome bunch. 

"Gajeel, tend to Natsu, will you? I'll deal with Laxus." Gramps ordered as he dragged the blonde into his office. 

The iron dragon nodded as he rushed over to Natsu. "You're an idiot, Salamander. You should've locked yourself in the library with the Shrimp. She would've helped you." He said fondly. 

Natsu looked up at him through hooded eyes. He was glad Gajeel was with him and not Laxus. "Thanks, metal-head..." Natsu whispered before he blacked out. 

Gajeel picked the small dragon-slayer up bridal style and glared at his guildmates. They were still staring. "Problem?" He snapped, causing them to shake their heads and quickly continue what they were doing. 

"Oi, Shrimp!!!! We're leaving!!!" Gajeel called out. A few moments later, Levy came out of the library. 

She looked at Natsu, worried. "He'll be fine. He's just overwhelmed." Gajeel told her. 

She nodded before opening the guild doors for him. Natsu couldn't stay alone like this. There was no telling what could happen. Laxus could come back, or another dragon-slayer could find him. As Gajeel looked at the small, slightly feminine figure in his arms, he smiled slightly. He'd let Natsu stay with him and Levy until Gray returned. That way, no one could force themselves onto the fire mage.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I was in the mood to write something before school this morning; so enjoy this small, fluffy chapter. :)

Natsu woke up in an unfamiliar bed. He was confused. He could've sworn he was just at the guild. Then it all came rushing back. The talk with Gajeel, Laxus appearing, the fight, his heat, and then the comfort of warm arms holding him protectively. 

"Glad you're awake, Sleeping Beauty." A deep voice cut through the silence. 

Natsu jolted and turned to look at Gajeel, who was sitting in a chair at the corner of the room. "How long was I out?" His voice was raspy. 

Gajeel, of course, noticed this and handed him a cup of water. Natsu gladly accepted it. "About half a day. It was noon when we met at the guild, and it's morning now."

"Gray?" Natsu questioned. Gajeel shook his head. 

"Still not back yet. Levy says that the group of bandits their team are hunting have a few mages. It'll probably take one or two days just to track them down and defeat them." He replied. 

Natsu groaned and lay back down. His heat was stronger now, but it felt different. It was most likely because he was in the presence of a mates dominant. Instead of wanting Gajeel in a sexual manner like he had before, he now just wanted to be in contact with the iron dragon-slayer. 

Natsu acted on instinct as he crawled on all fours across the bed, towards the larger man. Gajeel watched in shock as the pinkette slowly straddled his lap and buried his face in the crook of his neck. The iron mage nearly had a heart attack when deep rumbles vibrated throughout the submissive. Natsu was purring! "Oi, S-Salamander-"

Natsu cut him off with a playful nip to his ear. It wasn't anything sexual; it was like how two dogs would play. "Shut up. I want, no I need, you to just hold me. Nothing dirty, just cuddling." 

Gajeel nodded slowly. "Fine, but no funny business. I've got Shrimp for that." Natsu rolled his eyes, a surprised laugh leaving him. 

The iron dragon sighed as he wrapped his muscled arms around the submissive's waist. He stood up with Natsu still clinging to him and made his way to the bed. He turned the lights off on his way and sat Natsu down so that he could crawl under the blankets and lay on his back. When he was comfortable, the fire mage quickly latched back onto him. They were chest to chest as he layed on top of Gajeel. The dominant's arms immediately wrapped around the smaller man's frame protectively. 

Levy McGarden found them in that position an hour later. They both had content smiles on their faces as they slept, and their purrs filled the room. A fond smile pulled at her lips as she crawled into the warm bed with them. The two dragons subconsciously repositioned themselves in order to fit her in. They fit perfectly together, like puzzle pieces. Levy drifted off into sleep. Yeah, she could definitely get used to this.


	12. Chapters 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guys, it's Friday the 13th!!! O_O

Gray was agitated. No, he was beyond agitated. He had left for the mission yesterday, abandoning Natsu when he needed him the most. A sigh escaped his lips. All he could think about was the short pinkette. 

"Focus, Gray." Erza's voice cut through his thoughts as he hit a hard surface. 

That damn flame-brain. Because of him and his stupidly cute face, Gray had ran into a tree. The ice mage sighed as he tried to completely shake off all thoughts of the fire mage. It didn't work. 

Currently, the three were working hard to track down the mages that were working for the bandits. They had already eliminated the bandits, since they had no magic at all. The difficult part was finding the two mages. 

Gray was impatient to end this mission. He just wanted to get back to Magnolia and make sure Natsu was okay. The fire mage had explained to him that, while he was in heat, he'd be completely unable to use his magic unless he was mated. If he was mated, the heat would still be as bad, but he would only need his mate to calm it. 

Gray didn't know why, but the thought of Natsu with a mate pained him. He scoffed. Curse that flame-brain for making him have all these weird feelings. He shouldn't even care. They were rivals, after all. The ice mage mentally scolded himself. No, they were best friends. Even if they constantly fought, they were always there for each other. 

They were best friends, but ,for some reason, Gray found himself hoping for more. 

***************************

Team Natsu, minus Natsu of course, were sitting around in their tents. They had decided to set up camp since they had been searching for the mages all day. They were all on edge and tired. This would be one of the longest missions they had gone on without Natsu, and it sucked. 

They found themselves missing the bubbly fire mage. He could make anything, even searching for evil mages, fun. With that amazing nose of his, they wouldn't have to search every inch of the place. He would have led his team right to them. 

If the dragon-slayer was there, then they wouldn't have to sit in awkward silence. Sure, the three were all very close to one another and would strike up conversation when they please, but Natsu never knew how to shut up. He was able to keep them all entertained and in conversation throughout the whole mission. They just weren't used to going so long without hearing his constant talking. 

Gray was probably the worst off. At least Erza and Lucy were able to talk about girly things such as clothes, which they had been doing a lot. Happy had stayed with Wendy and Carla, leaving the ice mage as the only male. He thoroughly missed having his rival there to talk to and pick fights with. Even if Erza always intervened, which always annoyed the two. Apparently, she couldn't see that the fighting was just part of their relationship. It was what made it so strong. Despite every hurtful thing they say to one another, they will still be best friends. Erza had always thought they really hated each other, everyone did. 

That couldn't be more far from the truth. The two cared for each other deeply and would do anything to help the other. Even if that meant, on Gray's part, to get intimate with the other to help them through something.


	13. Chapter 13

Natsu woke with a start. A few days had passed and, true to his word, Gajeel had made Natsu stay at his house until Gray got back. Sniffing the air, Natsu soon realized that he was the only one in Gajeel's apartment. He huffed. He and Levy must have went out to run a few errands. 

The fire mage scowled. The two could've at least taken him along. He hated being holed away in a small apartment. He had always hated it. Instead, he preferred being outdoors. Being in a forest or a grassy field didn't give him a sense of being trapped like staying indoors did. 

His heat was still, regrettably, very painful. Instead of heat pooling in Natsu's stomach like it usually did, it felt like the fire mage's intestines were trying to rip out of his stomach. What was worse, though, was that it wasn't constantly there like the burning sensation that usually was. No, the pain hit him at random times. It was terrible. Natsu had gotten accustomed to the heat in his stomach, but random, scorching pangs that shot through him like a bullet hurt like hell. There was no way he could get used to it when it hit without warning or consistency. 

He shrugged it off as he got up. He was itching to do something. To go somewhere. Hastily, he pulled on some clothes and fixed his appearance. He had to get out of this stupid, crammed place before he went crazy. He was also rushing so that he could leave before Gajeel returned. If he was caught, Gajeel would most likely go mother-hen mode on him and drag him back. Hell, he'd probably even tie Natsu to the bed so he couldn't escape again. 

Natsu made up his mind easily. He'd visit the guild and see if Gray was back yet. He should be, since it's been three days. The fire mage slipped out of the door and into the large hallway of the apartment complex. He walked down the opposite hallway before he returned and walked down the stairs. His scent going down a different hallway was sure to throw Gajeel off a little. 

As he made his way to the Fairy Tail guild, he continuously walked in and out of stores to confuse Gajeel. It was bound to at least delay the iron mage from finding him. Unfortunately, as he ran into someone, causing them both to fall, luck wasn't on his side today. 

The pinkette, who had landed on the other's chest, fumbled for an apology. "I am so so-" His apology was cut off as soon as he caught a glimpse of the person under him. "Cobra." He growled out. 

The maroon-haired male shot him a sly, lop-sided smirk. "It's so nice to see you again, Pinky." The deep voice of the poison dragon-slayer purred. 

Natsu, much to his dismay, soon caught a whiff of the other man's scent. The fire mage cursed. Of course, with his luck, he'd run into another dominant. Judging by the look in the poison dragon's eyes, his scent had also reached the other. 

Natsu was quick to get on his feet and dart off, much to Cobra's own twisted pleasure. "Playing chase now are we?" He called out to the pink-haired mage. "Oh how I love chasing my prey!" He growled before running after the smaller man. 

Natsu was in a panic. He knew, with the painful heat he had been subjected to, he wouldn't be able to keep his control much longer. Much sooner than he'd like, he would give into the dominant that was currently on his heels. 

He made a swift turn, barging into the guild. Everyone jumped and turned to face the wild-eyed pinkette. They had never seen him so spooked before, but they soon realized why when he was tackled by a familiar poison mage. The members of Fairy Tail were soon hit by the poison, leaving them paralyzed. 

They could only watch in horror, and shock, as Natsu was flipped onto his back, and his wrists were pinned above his head. The slightly taller dragon-slayer had begun to trail his lips down the pinkette's neck after he had thrown off the scarf. None of them could move to help their friend. They could only watch helplessly as he was assaulted by Cobra. Tears formed in the eyes of some of them as Natsu's vest was ripped off of his body, leaving his chest bare. 

They all knew where this was heading, and they couldn't do anything about it. Natsu, always being the last one to give up, continued to fight the best he could. His fists swung at the other mage, and he squirmed away from his touches. 

He felt the lips trail down his abs. He knew he couldn't hold on any longer. His heat would take over, and he'd give in soon. As his eyes swiftly raked over his guildmates, he realized that his team had still not made it back. He could only hope they'd get here in time. 

Much to his amusement, the doors to the guild swung open as soon as the thought left him. There, his teammates stood proudly. However, that pride soon faltered as they took in the scene before them. The girls were frozen in shock. Cobra's lips were now covering Natsu's own in a heated, one-sided kiss. Gray, knowing how bad this situation actually was, was quick to hurry over to his rival. 

"Goddamnit, Flame Brain. I can't even leave you alone for a few days without you causing trouble!" Gray's deep voice was like music to the fire mage's ears. 

"Yeah, yeah. Hurry up and get him off of me, Ice Princess." Natsu answered as best as he could. 

Gray gave a sharp nod before punching the poison mage. Hard. The hit sent Cobra stumbling, thus knocking him off of Natsu. The ice mage was quick to grab his best friend by the wrist before dragging him out of the guild. 

"Erza, take care of that guy for us!" He called out. The female warrior gave a curt nod before turning to the attacker with a scary glare. 

**************************

"What the hell were you thinking, bastard?!" Gray's sharp voice caused the pinkette to flinch. 

As soon as the ice mage had rescued him, he had dragged him back to Natsu's house. That led them to the position they were in now. Natsu was sitting on the couch, where Gray had pushed him in his anger, and the ice mage was reprimanding him. Gray was finally back, and Natsu didn't want to fight with him. 

"You have no idea how much pain I've been in ever since you left, you stupid droopy-eyed bastard!" Natsu snarled as he stood up to face the ice mage. 

Gray was shocked. Natsu was hurting...because of him? "What? Why?!" The raven-haired male was officially freaking out now. 

Natsu huffed and sat down, motioning for Gray to do the same. "I don't know. Apparently my heat gets worse the farther away you are." 

"How do you know?" Gray looked at him skeptically. 

Natsu rolled his eyes and thumped the ice mage on the forehead. "Levy told me. She read it from a book on dragon mating." 

Gray groaned and sat back. "That's just great." His words were laced with sarcasm. 

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure my organs hate me right now. I swear they're trying to leave my body." The pinkette whined. 

"Wow...it's that painful?" The raven asked. 

Natsu pinned him with a look. "It's worse. Like, I need you in me. Right. Now."

Gray's eyes widened slightly at that, but he quickly got over with a shrug. "Don't need to ask me twice." He said before successfully ridding himself of his clothes, since he only really had his underwear on. When did that happen?


	14. Chapter 14

Clothes were thrown across the floor, and soon lips were attacking Natsu's soft, tan flesh. A few times, Gray even grazed his teeth over the most sensitive parts of the fire mage's body. He bit those places. Natsu moaned at the sight. Gray, who had been his crush since childhood, was marking him. To someone with draconic instincts, being marked was highly arousing. More arousing than any normal person would find it. 

"You're so hot, Natsu." Gray breathed into the dragon's ear as he nipped at it. Icy hands were roaming all over the smaller male's body, mapping the tanned skin. "Fucking sexy."

Natsu only whined. Sure, being in contact with Gray's cold skin soothed his heat a little, but it wasn't enough. The pain was still there, only not as painful as it had been when the ice mage was on the mission. "Gray, it h-hurts..." The pinkette barely recognized his own voice. He sounded so needy. So small. 

Gray must have caught this as well, if his wide eyes were an indication. "Shit, Natsu. It hurts that bad?" The raven asked quietly. 

He watched as the man under him nodded. He became angry at himself. He had left his best friend, knowing this was happening to him. Even after knowing that a dominant dragon-slayer could find him. Natsu wouldn't have been able to resist. Hell, one did find him! He could only thank Mavis that he had gotten there when he did. If he hadn't, then the fire mage could have been raped. Degraded in front of the guild. The thought made dread travel throughout the ice wizard. 

Gray shook those thoughts away. He was here now, and the pinkette was fine. Cobra hadn't gotten to him in time. He was safe. They were together. That was all that mattered. 

Determined to make the beautiful male under him feel good, he lathered his fingers in lube. He knew what Natsu needed, so he didn't waste time taking things slow. Instead, he shoved three fingers inside the tight hole of the fire user, making the small man let out a combination of a gasp and a moan. 

Gray angled his fingers to hit the dragon's prostate, and he roughly thrusted the digits in and out. Natsu was a writhing, moaning mess underneath him. If possible, Gray's cock grew harder at the sight of his rival flushed and glistening in sweat. 

The ice mage wondered why he didn't notice exactly how hot his best friend was before. His pink hair was fluffy and soft to the touch, his skin was a delicious tan, he had a lean and curvy figure that was accompanied by drool-worthy muscles and well-defined abs that would put most males to shame, and his ass was perfectly round like a woman's. Not to mention his thighs, which were just the right size. 

Gray found himself staring at the pinkette. Hastily, he snapped out of it. It'd be embarrassing if Natsu caught him eye-fucking him. If he had stared any longer, he probably would have drooled. It was weird...having romantic feelings for someone who didn't even like you; who only saw you as a rival and a partner. 

Gray, determined to get rid off all the lovey-dovey thoughts, lubed up his cock and impaled the short mage with two sharp thrusts. This action caused Natsu to gasp and arch his back off the couch. The fire mage was, surprisingly, very flexible. The discovery of this caused very graphic, very sexual thoughts to wrack the raven's brain. 

Gray's thrusting soon picked up a fast rhythm. They were harsh snaps of his waist that buried his cock inside Natsu's heated body. "Ngh, Gray!" The pink-haired mage repeated Gray's name like a mantra, which was followed by loud whimpers and moans. 

"Fuck, Natsu. You're so tight." The ice mage groaned as his cock continued to slide in and out of the male. 

The two had been apart for a while, so it wasn't a surprise that they finished fast: Gray cumming in Natsu's greedy mouth, and Natsu cumming on both his and Gray's bodies. Gray watched in awe as the dragon-slayer swallowed all of his cum. The ice mage definitely found that hot.


	15. Chapter 15

Gray was hesitant to leave the pinkette that lay exhausted on the bed, but he had to visit the guild. He had been gone on the mission for days, and he had to give the Master his report. He cautiously crawled out of bed, trying not to wake the slumbering dragon. Gray smiled. Natsu looked so innocent while sleeping. 

The ice mage crept through the house silently and made his way to the guild. Once he got there, he noticed that everyone was unusually quiet. Makarov sat amongst them, criss-crossed on top of the bar, with a pale face. 

Gray walked up to the old man. "What's wrong, Gramps?" 

"He could've been...and we could only watch. I could only watch as one of my children-" Makarov cut himself off with a single tear. 

Gray was confused...and then it all clicked. He, Erza, and Lucy had only gotten to the guild in time to stop Cobra. The others were there for the whole thing. They were paralyzed. They could only watch as Natsu, the guild's flame of hope, was molested by the poison dragon. If his team hadn't have gotten there when they did, things could've gone farther. Natsu could've been raped...right in front of them. 

Gray shook. The fire mage could've been scarred greatly. "What matters now is that it didn't happen. We got here in time to save him."

Yeah, the guild couldn't really argue with that. So they put on smiles, Natsu wouldn't want them to be sad, after all. The fire dragon-slayer was like that. He didn't care what happened to him, as long as his family was okay. That's what Fairy Tail is about. It's not just a guild, it's an eternal family that welcomed anyone. They were a group of outcasts who had all come together out of love and friendship. 

Rumors of Natsu and Gajeel soon caught Gray's attention. He heard the other members talk about how close the two would get around each other, closer than two friends would get. One in particular made an unfamiliar feeling coil in his chest. No, this one wasn't a rumor. There was proof. Levy had said this. 

"You should've seen the two. They were so adorable cuddled in bed together!" The bookworm squealed. 

The two were cuddling in bed. That had to have meant that they were hooking up. Right? After all, they were both dragon-slayers, and it was still mating season. Gray found himself getting angry. Was Natsu just using him for his own sick pleasure? That thought made him sick. He felt betrayed. How dare Natsu play with his emotions like that?!

But wait...exactly what emotions did the ice mage hold for his rival?


	16. Chapter 16

Gray rose to his feet abruptly, sending the bar stool he was sitting on flying backwards. He was pissed. How dare Natsu mess with him like that?! The ice mage turned on his heels and stormed out of the guild. He'd confront that damned pyromaniac himself. 

***************************

It wasn't long before he reached the dragon-slayer's house. Gray had easily memorized the route since he and Natsu usually sparred at the creek beside the pinkette's house. It was better than doing it at Gray's since he lived in an apartment, and Erza always broke them up when they did it at the guild. The scarlet-haired mage never understood that the fights were just a part of their relationship. They had never hated each other: they were rivals and helped the other to grow stronger. The two were probably closer to each other than they were to anyone else. 

Gray swung open the wooden door, which cause a loud bang once it hit the wall. The pinkette would most likely be in the bedroom, so the raven-haired mage made his way to that room. Once he got there, he his anger came to a halt. Natsu was flushed all over, on his hands and knees, with drops of sweat dripping from his tanned body. He only wore a pair of tight, black boxers. His eyes were hooded, and his mouth was open, revealing his sharp fang-like canines. Gray had always loved his teeth. They looked awesome. 

The ice mage shook of the dirty thoughts that possessed his mind as his anger returned. He stomped over to the fire mage and stopped right in front of him. "Who the hell do you think I am?!" He screeched. 

Natsu startled and snapped his head up to look at his rival. Gray tried his best not to get hard from the scene before him. "What?" 

"I'm not just some toy you can use for your entertainment whenever you want!" The raven yelled. 

Natsu blinked. "Whoa, Gray...I never said you were. What made you think that?" The dragon-slayer had no idea what was wrong with his best friend. 

Gray huffed and crossed his arms. "Is Gajeel better than me? Does he make you feel better?" The ice mage's voice was sensual and filled with poison. 

Natsu was confused. He stared at Gray for a moment before he finally realized what he was talking about. His eyes widened. "It's not like that!" If this was any other time, he'd have laughed at the thought of him and that metal-head together. 

"Oh yeah? Levy even said she caught you two sleeping together!" Gray sneered. Why was this flame brain lying to him?!

Natsu growled and pounced. Gray fell onto the bed with the dragon straddling his hips. His wrists were pinned above his head as the pinkette leaned in close to him: so close their noses were almost touching. He growled. "Gajeel is mated to Levy. To dragons and dragon-slayers, a mate is for life. We only have one mate. We treat that mate right. We are loyal to them. We protect them. We provide for them. We never want anyone else after that. Do you understand now?" There was no answer. "Gajeel had more experience in mating seasons than I did, so he's been teaching me for a while now. It was only natural that we became close."

Gray was...relieved. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. He scowled at himself. He shouldn't be relieved. He shouldn't care at all. 

His face exploded into a blush as he finally took in the position they were currently in. Natsu seemed to notice as well. The ice mage smirked. "Round two?"


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for such a long wait! :( I'm sure some of you have abandoned me by now...anyways, I'm sorry to say this but I will be going on a short hiatus. You don't need to worry, though! It's only until I get caught up in my school work, and I'm definitely not discontinuing the book! I just hope you guys will stick around. :)

This time was just like the others, nothing special, just helping out a friend. Except Natsu still felt sparks between them. Of course he did. He was in love with Gray, after all. Nothing changed for the dragon-slayer. 

Everything had changed for Gray. Instead of his initial feelings of just helping a comrade, the ice mage now felt the sparks as well. Every time his bare body came in contact with Natsu's soft skin, a tingle erupted throughout both of them. It was nice, and added to the sensual feeling that they were succumbing to. 

Gray's rough hands mapped out every single crevice on the smaller male's body. Unlike his own skin, Natsu's was very tan and smooth to the touch. Sure, the fire mage was as muscles as the raven, but his body was feminine to the touch. Gray found himself wanting more. Craving more. He found himself deeply attracted to the body that was underneath him. His hands trailed down Natsu's slightly broad shoulders, down his smoothly toned abs, down the very visible dip of his hips that gave him curves that could rival any woman, and they finally stopped at his hard erection. Natsu's cock was almost as large as Gray's, which didn't really fit his short figure. Gray loved it, though. Who wouldn't love a big dick? 

The ice mage licked his chapped lips and descended hungrily on his prize. The pinkette releases a loud moan as his cock was suddenly engulfed in an icy cold mouth. The coldness stimulated his senses, making him aware of everything. His heat returned full force, and he whined needily as Gray swallowed his member all the way down to the base. The mouth of his rival felt amazing. 

He watched with wide eyes as the raven continued to lift his head up and down, Natsu's member sliding in and out of the tightness of his throat. They made eye contact, and the fire mage felt all of his breath leave him. Navy blue eyes stared into his with lust-filled passion. Natsu could only wonder how much of a mess he looked at the mercy of Gray. 

His whine became louder. He couldn't handle this. The ice mage was always in control, and he never gave Natsu what he wanted. Sure, the pinkette loved every moment of this, but he needed more. Gray was slow, careful not to hurt his friend. He was a dragon in heat. He didn't need slow. He needed rough and hard. He needed his desires to be fulfilled. 

The salamander growled sensually, a sound that sent shivers down Gray's spine, as he broke free from his rival's hold and pounced on him. Natsu wasted no time as he pushed Gray onto his back roughly and straddled him. He plunged the ice mage's cock into him with a single stride as he placed himself in the other's hips. 

Gray could only watch in shock as the dragon roughly fucked himself onto his dick. The animalistic growls and snarls that tore from Natsu's throat made his vision go white. The fire mage was so unbelievably sexy as he rode Gray. It was nothing like Gray had planned. The ice mage was content with taking things slow for now, even though he wanted nothing more than to fuck Natsu's brains out. But he feared that the dragon-slayer would hate him if he was to rough. Apparently that wasn't the case. The damned Flame Brain wanted it rough!

A growl rumbled through Gray's chest as he flipped them over. His thrusts were rough, his hands unforgiving as they held onto the smaller male's hips with force. He'd definitely have bruises tomorrow. The pinkette smirked slightly at the thought. He would have marks from Gray. Gray marked him...

Something inside of Natsu made him react instantly. A loud rumble emitted from within his chest, it wasn't exactly a pure but it wasn't a growl either, more like a sound of content. He wrapped his arms around Gray and pulled his body down onto his. He nuzzled the ice mage's neck with his nose as he used his nails to pierce his back. The noise left him again as he left deep claw marks down his rival's back. Gray's eyes widened in shock. Did the dragon-slayer live being marked that much? The raven-haired mage figured it had something to do with his dragon-like instincts. 

He smirked to himself as he leaned down slightly to suck on Natsu's neck. He made sure to leave a trail of hickeys as he did. His suspicions were confirmed as the fire mage let out a load moan. Gray was thoroughly enjoying the sounds his rival was making, and the thought of marking Natsu as his made the possessive side of him come out. 

The ice mage snarled as his grip became harder...as well as his thrusts. This made the fire mage writhe underneath him, loud whines filling the room. The two began to moan in sync as they felt their orgasms rapidly build. Luckily, Gray had found a box of condoms in Natsu's room before they had started. 

"Gray!" The hoarse voice of the dragon-slayer rang out as he painted their chests in white. 

"Natsu!" The ice mage followed shortly after as his cum filled the condom he was wearing. 

He pulled out and slipped the dirtied condom off of his dick, collapsing beside his best friend. They rode out their high like that, shrouded in the other's arms.


	18. Chapter 18

Natsu looked like an angel when he was asleep. His face was soft, and his spiky pink hair scattered in all directions. His mouth would part ever so slightly, and his nose twitched cutely. Gray stared at the precious being that was laying beside him. A soft smile pulled at his lips as he ran a hand through the soft, pink locks. The sleeping dragon's arms shot out and latched onto the ice mage as he was pulled into the warm body. 

They were chest to chest: Natsu's forehead rested on Gray's shoulder as Gray's chin rested on his head. The ravenette sighed as he let himself be cuddled. He was enjoying the heat the tan body let off. It was a nice contrast to Gray's usually cold one. They mixed perfectly. 

"Mm...Gray." The ice mage's ears perked up as he heard the pinkette mumble his name in his sleep. A lazy, lopsided smile formed on the soft lips of the fire mage. What was he dreaming about? "I...love..." his mouth twitched as he went silent. 

Gray cursed. What was he going to say?! I love food? I love Fairy Tail? I love fights? I love you, his mind mentally supplied him. His eyes widened, and he shook his head, frowning. That couldn't be it. Natsu buried himself deeper into his cold body. 

The ice mage sighed as he let it go. He was probably just hearing things. Dark, navy eyes fluttered shut as he joined his rival in slumber. However, it wasn't long before Gray's eyes opened and nearly bugged out of his head as he felt hotness swallow his, now twitching, cock. He lifted himself onto his elbows and looked down. 

Natsu was on all fours between his legs, his pert ass in the air as Gray's member slid down his throat. The raven moaned as his cock sprung to life. The fire mage was amazing with his mouth and could turn any man into a pile of goo when he deep-throated. Those lustful, olive eyes gazed at him intensely as his soft hands tugged and fondled his balls. Dear Mavis, his hands, too. Was there anything Natsu wasn't good at when it came to sex? Gray couldn't hold himself back anymore as he felt the pinkette's tongue lick teasingly up the base of his cock. His hands gripped the soft hair tight as his hips bucked up into the wet mouth. Natsu moaned, sending vibrations throughout the ice mage's erection. Gray felt himself getting close and removed the eager dragon-slayer's mouth. 

Gray was nowhere near finished with Natsu just yet.


	19. Chapter 19

Natsu's house was silent once again. A few weeks had passed with ease, the fire and ice mages too busy ravaging each other to take note of the days that passed. 

Now, mating season was over, and he felt empty. Like a void was eating at his heart. It had ended yesterday, and the dragon-slayer had dismissed Gray with a pang in his heart. He was a good enough friend to let his rival know that it had ended instead of taking advantage of him. Natsu sighed. Oh how he wanted to take advantage of the ice mage right about now. 

Now that he'd had a taste of what he had been craving, his hunger only doubled. He had only gotten a small portion, but he was sure he wanted everything Gray had to offer. He didn't just want the ice mage's body; he wanted his heart too. 

The poor pink-haired male sighed. That was something he'd never get. The two might have gotten closer, and they might care about each other greatly, but, at the end of the day, they were still rivals. Rivals don't fall in love with one another. 

It was too late for Natsu; he already had.


	20. Chapter 20

It was an average day in the guild. Gray was lounging in his usual seat at the table that his team always sits at, chin resting on his palms as he stared dazedly at the wall in front of him. He could hear Erza and Lucy engaging him in conversation, but he paid them no mind, tuning them out as he got lost in his thoughts. 

Mating season was over, and Gajeel had returned, but Natsu was nowhere to be found in the guild. Even Laxus was back, trying his best to take a nap in one of the lounging chairs upstairs as Freed talked him to death. Well, more like doted on him. Anyone but Laxus could see how absolutely head over heels the rune mage was for him. 

Gray's thoughts began to take a darker route as Happy joined them at their table, alone. Maybe Natsu regretted choosing him to help him. Maybe he hated Gray now. No, Gray quickly shook off that thought, Natsu would never hate any of his guildmates. He couldn't hate them. They were his family, and he was probably one of the most prominent members of said family. He was always there to strengthen anyone in the guild, always motivated them when they felt like giving up. 

As the doors slammed open with a loud bang, and a warm body was suddenly leaning onto his back, he couldn't help but feel relief as he faked a scowl. "What do you want, Flame-Brain?" 

Natsu continued to lean all of his body's weight onto the ice mage as he chuckled. Gray thought that was the cutest chuckle ever. "Mira told me there was a mission that specifically requested a fire and ice mage. I figured we could do it, unless you can't handle it, Ice Princess." 

Gray inclined his head to send him an enticing smirk, challenging him. "Only if you can handle it, Pyro." And just like that, all worries of Natsu no longer wanting to be around him vanished as they raced each other to the request board. 

Erza and Lucy watched before turning to look at Happy, who had made no move to follow Natsu. "Aren't you going with them?" Lucy asked. 

The exceed only grinned. "I'm sure he can handle it on his own!" He exclaimed before focusing on the fish in his paws. Besides, Natsu had told him that he planned to confess on this mission. Happy would only be a distraction. Of course, Natsu would never tell him that, but Happy knew he should probably give the two some time alone.


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm alive!!!

To say Gray was shocked that Natsu had asked him to go on a mission with him may have been an understatement. The happiness he felt at the moment completely overwhelmed him. He would've never thought that Natsu would actually ask him to accompany him on a mission. The only missions they had ever gone on together were either with the whole team, or when Erza or Mira made them take a request that specifically asked for them, and that almost never happened. Not since the fight they had last time. 

"So what's this mission about, Flame Brain?" Gray asked Natsu, who was currently walking right beside him. 

The two were on their way to the train station to start their mission. Natsu looked over. "We have to solve some maze. As far as our customer knows, there is only fire and ice magic within the maze, and he's tried to solve it multiple times alone. The flyer said he'll give us the rest of the details once we get there."

"Sounds fun." Gray hummed. A maze did sound fun. It would definitely be a challenge, just how he liked. 

Natsu watched as that sideways smirk of Gray's pulled at his lips, and he had to look away. Oh, how he loved that smirk. It was sexy, yet adorable at the same time. 

"Yeah." Natsu coughed, brushing off his thoughts. 

Gray noticed the change in the fire mage and sighed. "Not gonna lie, I thought you'd hate me now." He told the pinkette. 

Erza had started hassling him about bottling up his emotions. She told him that it was better to tell someone how he felt and ordered him to try it someday. So why not try with Natsu, someone he trusted with his life. 

Natsu jolted in shock. It wasn't like the ice mage to share how he felt. He looked over at him. "You were only helping me, besides...I could never hate you."

Gray's eyes widened. "What?"

The pinkette, realizing what he had just said, frantically waved his hands in the air. "Err, I mean because Fairy Tail's a family, and we're teammates, so I'm not going to hate you for something so trivial." He quickly tried to cover his mistake. 

It's because I love you, Gray. He couldn't tell Gray that. Not yet, at least. He wasn't ready. 

Natsu mentally scoffed at how pitiful he was. He's been in love with him for years, and he still wasn't ready. 

Gray smiled. Natsu didn't hate him. "Thank you." He mumbled. 

"Huh?" The pinkette couldn't hear him. 

"Nothing! I said you're a squinty eyed freak!" Gray yelped. 

Natsu rolled his eyes and threw his fists up. "You wanna fight, you pervy popsicle?!"

"Oh look, we're here." The ice mage pointed out, completely ignoring him. 

Natsu's stomach lurched at the sight of the train, but he ignored it. A train ride was definitely worth spending time with Gray.


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's so late...and so short. Don't hate me plz. :'/

The train was unusually crowded, so the two rivals had no other choice but to sit in the same booth. As soon as the transportation lurched into movement, Natsu's motion sickness kicked in. He leaned out the window with a pale face, cold sweat trickling down his face as he tried his best to keep the contents of his last meal in his stomach. 

Gray sighed as he watched the fire mage's display. The teen looked terrible, with his ghostly face and wide eyes. On any other mission, Erza would simply knock the poor dragonslayer out so that he wouldn't have to endure the long ride. 

The ice mage cringed internally. Erza hit hard, and, rival or not, he wanted to at least spare Natsu from the extra pain. Instead, he wrapped a strong arm around the younger's waist and pulled him in close to his body. 

Natsu was shocked, but soon cuddled up to the bare chest. Surprisingly, being so close to Gray, wrapped up in the calming scent of snowy pine forests, made his sickness completely vanish. 

The pinkette sighed in relief before letting his eyes flutter shut. Being able to cuddle into his crush's side was way better than a punch from the mighty Titania. 

Speaking of the scarlet-haired warrior, he was surprised that she would even allow them to go on a mission together without even a warning. Especially after what happened on the last one. 

Natsu wondered if maybe she was onto him, or at least had her suspicions. Erza was a genius, after all. Honestly, he wouldn't mind if she had found out. He trusted her, and he was sure she wanted nothing more than her teammates happy. With thoughts racing through his mind, the fire mage let himself drift into sleep. 

Gray, on the other hand, was tense, and his face was flushed red all over. He quickly looked around to make sure no one they knew was around. He couldn't bear it if someone saw the two in such an embarrassing position! 

After frantically double checking to make sure nobody was looking at them, he relaxed and fell into sleep too. 

 

He


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I’m backkkkk!!!! Did ya miss me?

It took the two young wizards quite a while to reach their destination. The place was located in a deserted part of a forest, hidden deep within some old ruins. It took the two nearly an entire day to get where they were going, seeing as the place was far out of Magnolia...much to Natsu’s dismay. 

The poor dragonslayer had to endure almost twenty four entire hours of motion sickness when he could barely even manage one hour. Surprisingly, though, Gray didn’t make his usual snarky comments about how pitiful it was that Natsu the Salamander of Fairy Tail couldn’t even handle a train. For some reason, being near Gray helped. His scent, the cool air wafting around the ice mage’s body as a result of his magic, and just his entire presence in general helped to calm the motion sickness that Natsu had to deal with. 

Speaking of Natsu...the fire dragonslayer stirred awake from where he was sleeping, and Gray had to quickly avert his eyes from where he was staring at his comrade. “How long was I out?” Natsu’s voice was groggy and sleep-ridden, and Gray found it a huge turn on. 

The ice mage cleared his throat, attempting to regain composure. “Thankfully, long enough for us to reach our stop without me having to listen to your whining.” Gray remarked. 

Natsu tolled his eyes, but managed to roll his eyes and nudge his partner in the side with his shoulder. “Shut up, droopy eyes.” 

Gray growled. “Ashes for brains.”

Despite their mean remarks, the two shared a smile. The two burst into laughter, gaining weird looks from the other passengers. The two, however, completely ignore them as the train came to a stop at the station they were getting off at. 

“Race you out, stripper!” Natsu called as he quickly hopped over the table in front of them and dashed away, a trail of laughter ringing out. 

Gray cursed and chased after the bright pinkette.


	24. Chapter 24

Once the two Fairy Tail wizards had finally gotten off of the train, Natsu had reverted back into his unusually quiet state. He walked next to Gray in silence, zoning out somewhere into his mind. 

Gray wanted to scream. He wanted to hit something. Watching a friend and comrade of his being bothered by something so much and not being able to do anything about it made Gray feel useless. He hated it. He hated that he couldn’t help Natsu with whatever was bothering him so much that his usual, bubbly and outgoing personality had twisted into a dazed and uncomfortable silence. 

Gray wanted to just reach out and touch Natsu. He wanted to comfort the dragonslayer, but he was torn. A part of him screamed at him to comfort his friend, to let him know that, whatever it was, he was there for him. Another part, though, reminded him that this was Natsu. His rival, and his competition. 

What would people think if they saw Fairy Tail’s infamous Gray Fullbuster and Natsu Dragneel hugging in the middle of the street? People would surely talk. 

Instead, Gray settled for an attempt at small talk. It would at least break through the uncomfortable, piercing silence that filled the air around them, but he didn’t know what to say. The rest of the team was usually around to keep up conversations. Trying to find the right words, Gray opened his mouth and blurted, “You know I don’t hate you, right?”

...well. So much for small talk. 

Natsu whipped around as if he had been physically struck, and turned to face the ice mage with wide eyes and a gaping mouth. “I...uh- what?”

Gray sighed, knowing that there was no going back now. “I just felt like I needed to tell you. I mean...we’re always at each other’s throat, and we’re constantly fighting and insulting each other, but I don’t hate you. I’m closer to you than any of the other Fairy Tail members, and I trust you.”

The fire mage felt husband breath leave him as Gray turned to stare into his eyes. “Natsu...I. Don’t. Hate. You.” And well...Natsu didn’t know what to say to that. 

Gray Fullbuster didn’t hate him. Gray, his rival and his competition, didn’t hate him. Gray, his friend and comrade, didn’t hate him. Gray trusted him. 

He felt tears of relief prick at the corners of his eyes, but he quickly blinked them back. Natsu grinned, and it was beautiful and bright and genuine. It was Gray’s turn to have his breath stolen from him. “Good, because I don’t hate you either. You’re my best friend, Gray. I trust you. With my life.”

The two stood there in a comfortable silence, gazing into each other’s eyes. Dark, piercing blue met wild, fierce green. Each searched for any flicker of emotion, and, with a bond only the two possessed, they came to a silent understanding. No words needed to be said, so they both offered a nod. 

As they turned around and continued on their journey, neither could force down the giant grin on their face. 

Distantly, Gray realized that the second voice, the voice that called Natsu his enemy, was no longer around. Undeterred, he reached out and did something he didn’t think he ever would. 

Gray Fullbuster hugged Natsu Dragneel. 

Gray Fullbuster, the ice mage and self-proclaimed rival of Natsu, reached out and comforted Natsu the Salamander. 

And it felt good.


End file.
